Speed-indicator.



No. 888,705. PATENTED MAY 26,1908.

- E. T. GREENFIBLD. SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1907.

` ATTORNEY -certain new and useful Improvement in dieated. .l'fIn accordance with the invention, I ernsteady movement 'corresponding accurately 'ranged on one of the axles thereof, and an 'indicating "instrument which is connected this Way, the employment of a flexible rotary yan instrument provided which EDWIN T. GREENFIELD, OF KIAMESHA, NEW YORK.

SPEED-INDICATOR.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application filed June 22, 1907.- Serial No. 380,210.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known lthat I, EDWIN T. GREEN- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kiamesha, in the county of Sullivan and State of New York, have invented a Speed-Indicators, of which the following is a s ecification.

his invention relates to instruments for indicating` speed, adapted particularly for use on self-propelled vehicles. The object of the invention is to provid an instrument of this type which may be manufactured at low cost, which may be. easily installed and conveniently arranged upon an automobile, which shall give accurate indications and in which the indicator' does not have a quick, jerky movement over` its dial, such as would render accurate reading o'f the indications difficult, but has a to'changes in the speed which is to be inploya controlling device driven by a wheel 0r shaft of the vehicle and preferably arto this controlling device and which is preferably mounted upon the dash-board` ofthe vehicle. The controlling device has a part therein actuated by centrifugal force, and this is ositively connected to the index of the in icating Instrument, so that the two parts have corresponding movement. `In

shaft connecting the art mounted upon the axle of the vehicle wit the indicating instrument mounted upon the dash-board is avoided, and it is due largely to this that the above-enumerated objects are attained and is superior to those .which have been formerly used,'all of which have failed in one or more of the res ects above noted.

he preferred embodiment of my invention isi lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the controlling device with one half of the casing removed: Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a central section through the indicating instrument; and Fig. 4 is a View in elevation of the entire speed-indicator.

Referring to the drawings, the indicator;

l.nected to the body D at cl2.

of which is preferably formed to facilitate mounting it upon ashaft of the vehicle, and an indicating instrument B adapted to be mounted on the dash-board of the car. l' The casing c of the controlling device is formed to provide bearings for a shaft C, on which a body D is pivoted at d. Loosely mounted on shaft C is a collar c against theface of which bears a spring c coiled about shaft C and having its other end bearing against a collar c2, which is fixed u on shaft C. The loose collar c has one en of each of a pair of links d pivotall connected thereto, the other ends of these links being pivotally con- By reason'of this arrangement of the parts, the spring c acts upon the loose collar c to force it awa .fromrthe collar e2 and thus through the links d to turn the body Dion its pivot d to the osition in which it is shown in Fig. 1. llowever, when shaft C is rotated, the body D is actuated by centrifugal force to move toward a position in which it lies perpendicular to the axis of shaft C. This shaft has mounted thereon, outside the casing a, a gear c3 adapted to mesh with a gear secured upon the shaft or wheel which is to actuate the indicator.`

Pivotally mounted Within the casing a is consists of a controlling device A, the casing a bell-crank lever E, and a spring e coiled about the pivot of this lever and having one end fixed to the casing and the other carried around the edge of the lever holds the end e of lever E in contact with the loose collar c on shaft C. Opposite the lever E, the casing a has an opening therein, in which is secured one end of a length' of flexible tubing F, the

other end of'which is similarly secured in a suitable boss on ythe indicating instrument B. Any form of flexible tubing may beemployed for this urpose, but preferably I employ Greeniileld tubing formed of spiraled strip-metal. The indicating instrument B consists of a base b and cover b', the latter having a glass plate set therein.

Mounted on the base B, is a plate b2, on which a suitable scale is marked out. A shaft b3 is journaled in suitable bearingsin the base b and plate b2 and extends throu h the latter, its upper end carrying an index The shaft b3, carrying the index, is connected to the lever E in the controlling device, so that movements of the lever effect corresponding movements of the indicator. For this purpose, two wires G, G are employed,

, through the liexible tubing F and at their opposite ends arecarried partially around and secured `.to the shaft b3 of the indicating instrument. Preferably, two posts, g2 are provided in the flexible tubing F to guide the wires G, .G. Suitable strands, as, for instance, of gut, may bef employed in place of the wires G, G', .but I find in practice that best results are obtained with the use of piano wire. Also two flexible tubes of small diameter may be employed, one for each of the wires G, G, and these may be inclorsed by a length of flexible tubing such as that shown at F. When two such flexible tubes are emplo Yed, the strands G, Gv are held apart at all points throughout their lengths and bending of the tube F in any direction and at any number of points does not cause a variation in the position of the index relatively to its scale.

With the instrument thus constructed, the controlling device is mounted in position and geared to a wheel of the vehicle or a rotary shaft, and the indicating instrument 'is .mounted on the dash-board. The iiexibility of the tube F and the wires extending there through -allows for the necessary relative movement of the parts on which the controlling device and instrument are mounted.

. As the shaft C is rotated, the body D turns ance with changes in the speed of rotation on its pivot between the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 and a position in which it lies perpendicular to shaft C, underthe 'in fiuence of centrifugal force, in exact accordi O. shaft C. These movements of the body D move the collar c axially upon shaft C and turn the lever E on its pivot against the tension of springs c \and c. As the lever E turns, the shaft b3 in the indicating instrunient is correspondingly turned by means of the wires G, Gf, and the index b4 is caused to assume a position relatively to the scale marked out on plate b2 which corresponds exactly with the speed of rotation of shaft C.

l' I have found in practice that with this l form of speed-indicator very superior results accurate and the movements-of the index over the scale being quite steady. This results largely fromhaving the controlling device connected directly with the wheel or rotary shaft and positively connected to the indicating instrument, in preference to carrying motion from the wheel or shaft by means of a flexible rotary shaft to a combined centrifugal controlling device and indicator mounted upon the dash-board of tlie'car. Furthermore, thevinstrument is small and compact in construction and can be manufactured at a low cost.

` Having now described my invention, what 'l claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patentis as follows:-

The combination of a controlling device comprising a two-part casing having bearings formed therein, a shaft ournaled in said bearings, a gear on said shaft outside the casing for driving the same, a body pivotally mounted shaft, a spring link connecting lever )ivoted on said casing and engaging the collar, said body, collar, spring, v`link and lever being Vwithin the casing, an indicating instrument having an index movable for positioning the collar, a

EDWIN Ty.. GREENFIELD.

YVitnesses: l

D. G. EDMpNDs,

G. O. EDMoNDs. y

are obtained, the indications being quite' on said shaft, a collar loose on the the collar and body, and a relatively to a scale, a fiexible tubing having 

